Peas and Carrots, ready for lift-off!

Hello all,

We planted the first round of peas and carrots yesterday! What a joy it was! The sun was out, the wind blowing and the soil was dry enough to plant! I got to use a Planet Jr. seeder to plant both peas and carrots...its a seeder that was designed by the 4 Cole brothers from Chatam Co. NC in 1885! The seeder does a great job and is easy to use. Just because something is old doesn't mean its outdated and just because something is new doesn't mean it's any better...I found this little bit of wisdom in a book recently, though I couldn't tell you where. It has the ring of truth in my opinion, especially where sustainable agriculture is concerned. Many old tools, techniques and skills are resurfacing and perhaps never should have been considered outdated. This photo is the Planet Jr. Doesn't look like much but it does the job!

Spring is about to arrive! It is slowly warming up out there and as you can see, we have some croci on the farm! The potatoes are cut into seed pieces with 2 or more eyes per piece and are healing before planting. They will go in the ground this week. Baby onion plants are on their way from Texas and will go in the ground asap. Flowers will follow...

We've been accepted to the Western Wake Farmers Market! We are very excited to become a vendor there and very grateful for the acceptance! In my opinion, the market is the best market in Raleigh because of the group that runs the market and the wonderful job they do. There is good diversity of products and vendors, they often have music, opportunities to learn about food and overall, the market is well-rounded. Check out the WWFM webpage and come to the season opening on Saturday April 3rd!

FYI, Farmer Joel Salatin and local agrarians will headline a panel discussion at a special showing of the independent film Fresh, The Movie, on Tues., March 9, 7-9pm, at Meredith College for the 3rd Annual Film Feastival.


Please consider signing up for Ben's Produce Summer 2010 CSA. A BIG THANK YOU to those of you who have signed up! We still have membership spots open and the deadlines are rolling but we do have limited capacity. Please make your deposits at your convenience and the 2 payments thereafter are due 30 days and 60 days after making your deposit. Please see the brochure for details. Please send us your deposit along with a copy of the brochure (or the CSA Sign Up Form) with your information.

This coming Tuesday, March 2nd, we plan to have produce pickup at our house, 604 Sasser St., between 4:00 to 7:30 pm. The next NCSU delivery will be Wednesday, March 3rd. Remember to have your orders placed by Monday evening.

A few of you occasionally may have trouble placing orders. Please make sure you receive an automated confirmation email a few minutes after you place your order. If you do not receive this email your order was not placed and we will not receive it. Please try again or email us your order to shields.ben@gmail.com or call Ben @ 919-800-8898. Also, we do not accept online payments, e.g. PayPal. We only accept payment of cash or checks at pickup.

Although we are quickly approaching spring, please be aware adverse and/or cold weather may postpone harvest of your produce. In response to this, we may postpone pickups by a day or two. We will provide primary notice of pickup changes via email (especially for those of you who place orders) as well as via blog and online store. Thank you for being flexible with us!

Purchase of vegetables is made through our online store-
www.vendio.com/stores/bensproduce.


Available new vegetables:
SPINACH

Current vegetable availability includes:
baby beets
brussels sprouts
carrots
Chinese cabbage
collards
scallions
lettuce
sweet potatoes
Vitamin Green (a mild Asian leafy green)


Late winter /early spring vegetables will include:
arugula
broccoli raab
mixed baby lettuce & greens
mizuna
radishes
swiss chard
tatsoi
turnips

Spinach and Sweet Potato Salad

I told a few of you I would share this recipe. I found it in the March 2010 issue of Prevention. We haven't had a chance to try this recipe yet, but it sounds really yummy and we're gonna give it a try this weekend.

Here's what it looks like (YUM!)

The recipe calls for bacon, but I think it would be just as good without it, substituting sunflower seeds (or your favorite nutty topping) instead.

Spinach and Sweet Potato Salad (p. 154)

2 lg sweet potatoes (about 1 1/4 lb), peeled and cut into 1" cubes
1/4 c olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 thick slices bacon (2 oz total)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 sm red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1/3 c orange juice
1 lb fresh spinach leaves (or you could use our baby tat soi)

1. HEAT oven to 400F. Put sweet potatoes on backing sheet, drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the oil, sprinkle with 2/4 teaspoon of the salt, and toss to coat. Roast, turning occasionally, until crisp and brown outside and just tender inside, about 30 minutes. Remove from oven but leave on pan until ready to use.
2. COOK bacon in skillet over medium heat while potatoes raost, turning once or twice, until crisp. Drain on paper towels and pour off fat, leave any darkened bits in pan. Chop bacon. Put pan back over medium heat and add remaining 2 tablespoon oil. When hot, add bell pepper, onion, ginger, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Cook, stirring once or twice, until no longer raw. Stir in cumin and bacon. Stir in organge juice and turn off heat.
3. PUT spinach in large bowl. Add sweet potatoes, warm dressing, and freshly ground black pepper to taste and toss to combine. Taste and add salt if needed.

CSA Update

Hello all,

We have updated the CSA deadlines and created a brochure. The brochure can be found here and through our links section on the right. The deadlines are rolling, meaning they are determined by when you join. Please make your deposits at your convenience and the 2 payments thereafter are due 30 days and 60 days after making your deposit. Please see the brochure for details. We hope this encourages anybody who has not joined to join. Please send us your deposits along with a copy of the brochure (or the CSA Sign Up sheet which can be found here and in our links section on the right) with your information. We still have memberships available on a first come, first serve basis.


Patricia's brother Terry gave us a digital camera a little while ago. I took it out to the greenhouse this past week to take some photos for the blog and got some good ones of the first spring crops. Alas, the camera and our computers are not cooperating to allow us to download the photos but we'll have some to share next week.

We had a visit from two wonderful representatives of the Western Wake Farmers Market on Friday morning at the greenhouse. We have applied to attend this year and they came out to see a little of what we are doing and learn about the farm. We should be hearing back from Western Wake regarding their decision soon so we're crossing our fingers!

This coming Tuesday, February 23rd, we plan to have produce pickup at our house, 604 Sasser St., between 4:00 to 7:30 pm. The next NCSU delivery will be Wednesday, February 24th. Remember to have your orders placed by Monday evening.

A few of you occasional have trouble placing orders. Please make sure you receive an automated confirmation email a few minutes after you place your order. If you do not receive this email your order was not placed and we will not receive it. Please try again or email us your order to shields.ben@gmail.com or call Ben @ 919-800-8898. Also, we do not accept online payments, e.g. PayPal. We only accept payment of cash or checks at pickup.

Although we are quickly approaching spring, please be aware adverse and/or cold weather may postpone harvest of your produce. In response to this, we may postpone pickups by a day or two. We will provide primary notice of pickup changes via email (especially for those of you who place orders) as well as via blog and online store. Thank you for being flexible with us!

Purchase of vegetables is made through our online store-
www.vendio.com/stores/bensproduce.


Current vegetable availability includes:
baby beets
bok choy
brussels sprouts
cabbage
carrots
Chinese cabbage
collards
scallions
lettuce
sweet potatoes
tatsoi
Vitamin Green (a mild Asian leafy green)


Late winter /early spring vegetables will include:
arugula
broccoli raab
mixed baby lettuce & greens
mizuna
radishes
swiss chard
tatsoi
turnips

More snow!!!

Hello all,

Not much to report this week. More snow and cold. Winter is here to stay and it looks like we may be delayed planting our carrots and peas...On Friday morning I was at Logan Trading Company buying a packet of cabbage seed and was discussing the weather with a clerk. She told me the store records showed the same date last year, February 12th, had a daily high temperature of 70 F! Daytime highs in the low 40's and nighttime lows in the low 20's is colder than usual for February. In the NC Piedmont it is recommended to start planting brassica's, carrots and peas February 1st! It is way too cold for that, so we'll have to wait for it to warm up. The year has barely started and the weather is not cooperating. What else could I expect but the weather not to cooperate. It rarely ever does and not for long either. The joys of farming!!! But as Henri Alban-Fournier said, "Life on a farm is a school of patience; you can't hurry the crops or make an ox in two days."

This coming Tuesday, February 16th, we plan to have produce pickup at our house, 604 Sasser St., between 4:00 to 7:30 pm. The next NCSU delivery will be Wednesday, February 17th. Remember to have your orders placed by Monday evening.

During these cold winter months, please be aware the weather may postpone our harvest of your produce. In response to this, we may postpone pickups by a day or two. We will provide primary notice of pickup changes via email (especially for those of you who place orders) as well as via blog and online store. Thank you for being flexible with us!

Purchase of vegetables is made through our online store-
www.vendio.com/stores/bensproduce.


Current vegetable availability includes:
baby beets
bok choy
brussels sprouts
cabbage
carrots
Chinese cabbage
collards
scallions
lettuce
sweet potatoes
tatsoi
Vitamin Green (a mild Asian leafy green)

No longer offered:
broccoli
kale
mixed greens
mustard greens
radishes
spinach
swiss chard
turnips

Future winter vegetables may include:
arugula
broccoli raab
mixed baby lettuce & greens
turnips
swiss chard


STIR FRY VEGETABLES WITH WINE

1/4 c. oil (use oil appropriate to stir fry)
1/2 tsp. salt
4 c. Your favorite vegetables
1 c. onions/scallions
1/2 c. dry riesling or rice wine
3 tbsp. soy sauce or to taste

Heat oil in wok or deep fry pan add salt and all vegetables and stir frequently. Add soy sauce and wine; continue to stir and then add water. Stir frequently. Cover 2-3 minutes until vegetables are desired consistency. Serve over rice.

Seeds are here!

The snow is gone but old man winter isn't even thinking about leaving. That snow from last weekend put a damper on the farm. We had to postpone harvest and pickup by two days! Luckily, we had good weather on Thursday for harvest and pickup. What a short window it was...The weather looks fair for this upcoming week so we will get harvest and pickup done on Tuesday (and Wednesday for the 1911 Building) without trouble.

We started to receive our seeds this past week! What a joy it is to hold so much potential in our hands. Such life potential never ceases to amaze me. Seeds are a critical point in the cycle of life, such that the cycle cannot continue without reproduction, represented by seed. It is amazing to us how reproduction is not separate from any other point in the life cycle because reproduction is contingent upon the life cycle for existence and vice versa. Regardless of our understanding of seeds, the cycle of life and nature at large, seeds are a power to behold. We are glad to have finally received the little powerhouses we know as seed for this coming season.

Your carrots and peas need your support! We need your CSA deposits so we can order supplies to get the season under way. We also need your support in getting the word out about the CSA. Please tell your friends, co-workers, neighbors, family, people on the street! In these depths of winter it can seem a long way to harvest but it is not! We will be planting not only carrots but also peas and broccoli soon. We plan on growing orange, purple and rainbow carrots, sugar snap peas and Italian heirloom broccoli that is good and tasty. We need your support to get your carrots, peas and broccoli in the ground and growing. Thanks to everybody who has sent us deposits and referred friends!

Our online store is still operating and will continue to operate through the spring. This coming Tuesday, February 9th, we plan to have produce pickup at our house, 604 Sasser St., between 4:00 to 7:30 pm. The next NCSU delivery will be Wednesday, February 10th. Remember to have your orders placed by Monday evening.

During these cold winter months, please be aware the weather may postpone our harvest of your produce. In response to this, we may postpone pickups by a day or two. We will provide primary notice of pickup changes via email (especially for those of you who place orders) as well as via blog and online store. Thank you for being flexible with us!

Purchase of vegetables is made through our online store-
www.vendio.com/stores/bensproduce.


Current vegetable availability includes:
baby beets
bok choy
brussels sprouts
cabbage
carrots
Chinese cabbage
collards
scallions
kale
lettuce
sweet potatoes
tatsoi
Vitamin Green (a mild Asian leafy green)

No longer offered:
broccoli
mixed greens
mustard greens
radishes
spinach
swiss chard
turnips

Future winter vegetables may include:
arugula
broccoli raab
mixed baby lettuce & greens
turnips
swiss chard

Recipe Sharing Community Forum

 

Hi ya'll! I hope everyone is having a fun and safe Monday afternoon. I am getting quite a bit of work done for classes, but became distracted by the thought of posting this request - which is basically to ask those of you who have made tasty treats with Ben's Produce to please share your recipes or ideas with us. If you are interested in sharing, please post your recipe/ideas as a comment here or send an e-mail my way (parker.patricia@gmail.com). I will compile the recipes and share them in a blog post. If your recipes come from a source other than youself, please include that as well (if you know it). As usual, thanks for stopping by! We'll see you all later this week. 

Here's one from Rachel Ray. Ingredients from Ben's Produce include: kale and carrots (you can add collards instead of or in addition to the parsnips): 

Mustard-Molasses Chicken One Pot

• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 8 pieces bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
• Salt and pepper
• 1 large onion, quartered lengthwise, then sliced
• 3 parsnips, peeled and cut into 2-3 1-inch-long sticks, 1/2-inch wide
• 2 large carrots, peeled and cut into sticks
• 1 small bundle black kale or dinosaur kale, chopped or thinly sliced
• Freshly grated nutmeg (about 1/4 teaspoon)
• 1/4 cup grainy Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 cup chicken stock
• Crusty bread with nuts and raisins or cranberries

Preparation

Heat 1 tablespoon EVOO in Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then brown until golden, 3-4 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken and add another tablespoon of EVOO to the pan, one turn of the pan.
Add the onion, parsnips and carrots and season with salt and pepper. Cook to soften a bit, 5-6 minutes. Add the kale to the pot and wilt in, then add the nutmeg.

Whisk the mustard, molasses and stock together in a bowl, then pour over top of the vegetables and settle the chicken back into the pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low; cover and cook for 15-20 minutes.
Remove the lid, then remove the chicken and reserve on a plate covered with aluminum foil. Continue simmering the veggies until the liquids are thickened, about 10 minutes.

Serve the chicken and veggies with crusty warm bread.

Source: http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=3129

And here's one from Southern Cooking that uses collard greens. To make this dish vegetarian, substitute vegetable broth (or vegetable bouillon) for chicken stock and leave out the bacon. Toasted pine nuts might be a good substitute for bacon...

 Collard Green Risotto and Pot Liquor

Ingredients

• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 3  bacon slices, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1  large onion, chopped
• 2  garlic cloves, chopped
• 1  pound  fresh collard greens, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  pepper
• 3  cups  chicken broth
• 1/4  cup  molasses
• 2  tablespoons  butter or margarine
• Risotto

Preparation

Heat oil in a Dutch oven; add bacon, and cook until crisp. Add onion, and sauté 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; sauté 1 minute.
Stir in collard greens, salt, and pepper; sauté over medium heat 5 minutes or until greens wilt. Stir in chicken broth. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook mixture 45 minutes or until greens are tender.
Pour greens mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a container, reserving greens and pot liquor. Whisk molasses and butter into pot liquor.
Stir greens into Risotto.
Place 1 cup Collard Green Risotto in each of 6 bowls. Ladle pot liquor mixture evenly on top. Serve immediately.

Chef Jan Birnbaum, Chef Jan Birnbaum, Southern Living, JUNE 2001

Source: http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=258429

This recipe was originally taken from one of the Moosewood cookbooks. If you're not familiar with these books and you would like to add more veggies into your diet, I strongly suggest checking them out at one of our local bookstores. This recipe calls for spinach, but you could just as likely use tender kale or vitamin green instead.

Sesame Tofu with Spinach (or Vitamin Green)

 

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package firm tofu
• 1/4 cup sesame seed
• 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 drops hot pepper sauce (such as Tabasco) (optional)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil or vegetable oil
• 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 10 ounces fresh baby spinach, rinsed
• salt
• pepper

Directions

1. 
   

   1

   Slice the Tofu lengthwise into 4 rectangular slabs, than half each piece to get squares.
2. 
   

   2

   Spread the sesame seeds on a plate. Press all surfaces of each tofu square into the seeds to coat.
3. 
   

   3

   Heat the sesame oil in a large skillet on medium heat.
4. 
   

   4

   Arrange the tofu in a single layer and cook about 5 minutes Carefully turn and cook 5 minutes on other side.
5. 
   

   5

   Add soy sauce and Tabasco, turn the squares over, and cook another minute. Transfer squares to a plate (leaving stray seeds in the pan).
6. 
   

   6

   Add the oil and garlic to the pan and sauté for about 30 seconds, until golden. Add the still damp rinsed spinach and cook for 1-2 more minutes, stirring constantly. Cook until wilted but still bright green.
7. 
   

   7

   Season to taste with salt & pepper.
8. 
   

   8

   Serve the tofu on top of the spinach.

Source: http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/gallery.php?rid=225814